The Short of It
by cecelle
Summary: A collection of shortfic. Story 2: When Snape draws Septima Vector's name for the staff gift exchange, he gets an Idea. He tries to shoo it away, but the pesky thing isn't leaving him alone. - Fluffy Christmas one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

This 'story' is where I'll be posting future unrelated flashfic/ultra-short stories that are too long to count as a drabble, but are too short to really be posted as stories of their own.

Ch 1: When the Going Gets Tough. Summary: Molly has a meltdown. Luckily Arthur knows what to do.

Ch 2: Secret Santa. Summary: When Snape draws Septima Vector's name for the staff gift exchange, he gets an Idea. He tries to shoo it away, but the pesky thing isn't leaving him alone.

* * *

When the Going Gets Tough

The loud _pop_ announced Arthur's arrival. "I'm home!" He hung his hat on the hook by the door. "How was your day, dear?"

"My day? Let's see." Molly voice built steadily. "Bill won't memorize his times table. Flat out refuses. On the other hand, he _did_ somehow manage to turn George's hair purple."

Arthur grinned. "At least we'll now be able to tell the twins apart."

"You think that's _funny_?" Molly's face turned red as her hair. "I wonder if you'll think it's funny that Charlie blew up your grammyphone. And then lied and tried to blame it on Percy. Who wet his bed, _again_. The twins didn't take a nap and are getting into everything, and I haven't had a minute to raise a wand to do anything around the house, and –" her voice got shriller, "—and I seriously considered casting a _Petrificus_ on them, just to have a moment's peace. A Body-Bind! On my own children! What kind of mother _am_ I?" Molly sat down and burst into tears.

"There, there." Arthur patted her shoulder awkwardly, eyebrows pulled together. Then he straightened up. "I'll be back."

Molly sagged and cried harder as the door closed. Of course he'd leave his harridan of a useless wife. She couldn't stand herself. How could she expect it of him?

Still, by the time the door opened again, Molly's tears had turned to blazing anger. "Where _were_ you?"

Arthur looked puzzled. "At Aunt Muriel's, asking for the loan of her house elf. And my mother will arrive in fifteen minutes to watch the children. We're going out to dinner."

"Oh." She fell around his neck with a hiccuppy laugh. "Okay."

"I love you," Arthur said.

She smiled a damp smile.

He'd braved Aunt Muriel for her.

Of course he did.

* * *

A/N: Not really a drabble (which in my book has to be exactly 100 words long), but flashfic written for dyno_drabbles' July "Canon Pairs" challenge. 300 words. On a personal note, while trying to homeschool and run a household with young children, I've had enough melt-down, 'I-am-an-utter-failure' days _without _having to also worry about uncontrolled bits of 'kiddie magic' to make this scenario seem entirely realistic to me. ;0)


	2. Secret Santa

He hadn't been in favor of having a staff Secret Santa, but he'd been overruled. It was with ill grace that he drew a name out of the Sorting Hat.

But then he looked.

It was _her_ name.

The idea came to him immediately. And just as immediately, he dismissed it. Not private enough. And about 15 miles out of his comfort zone.

But the idea kept coming back, needling him, prodding him, stirring him to action. Because it was the kind of grand gesture she would love.

Most people perceived her the same way they perceived him – tough, strict, no-nonsense. There didn't seem to be anything soft about her – even physically she was all angles and straight lines; tall, dark, and bony. But after more than a year together, he knew that Septima Vector's angular exterior held a secret romantic's heart.

And so he found himself at the Christmas party, drumming his fingers nervously while Pomfrey unwrapped a cross-stitched panda, Flitwick a set of juggling balls, and he himself – suppressing a grimace – a gift certificate to _Slug and Jiggers._ How original.

But then Minerva pulled _that_ package out from under the tree. For a second, he felt a strong temptation to just whip out his wand and perform a quick Vanishing spell. But he resisted. It would have been a great waste of resources. Instead, he held his breath, his heart starting to pound.

Septima carefully tore off the wrapper and raised her eyebrows at finding a black velvet box inside. "From _Brilliants and Baubles_?" she muttered. "Hm. " With a precise gesture, she flipped open the top – and gasped. A one carat diamond ring sparkled in the glow of the fairy lights. Her eyes flew up, startled, meeting her not-so-secret Santa's.

There was a moment of collective silence.

"Well," Bathilda Babbling said disapprovingly. "I thought we had a five Galleon spending limit."

And then he was somehow standing, his arms around Septima, her face smiling a wobbly smile at him, while a happy babble of voices erupted around them.

"About time one plus one made two." "So glad you finally figured out a common denominator!" "Seems Vector found her complement." "I didn't think she'd ever get him to toe the line – I hadn't a ray of hope left!" "Me neither. But I'm glad he finally got to the point." "Congratulations! May your happiness over the years increase exponentially!" "I add my felicitations!" "Septima and Severus Snape - now that'll be a finely named pair!"

But the only thing he wanted to hear was her voice. And the answer to his whispered question.

"Oh, I most definitely will," she whispered back. "And Merry Christmas!"

* * *

A/N: For those who've never heard of it, a "Secret Santa" is a gift exchange where you don't know the identity of your gift giver. And I contritely apologize for the bad math punnage.

Reviews make me happy. :0)


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